Violin with Insia M.

I am a freelance violinist residing in New York. I have appeared in both solo and chamber settings at venues such as Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, the Tenri Cultural Institute, Galapagos Art Space, Le Poisson Rouge, the Flea Theater, and Steinway Hall. I have also played in master classes given by violinists Aaron Rosand, Hyo Kang, and Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri String Quartet. My playing has taken me to Spain and Peru, where I accompanied NYU’s Artists-in-Residence ensemble, Combo Nuvo at the Jazz Perú Internacionál Festival. I am an active performer in the New York area, playing with local orchestras such as the One World Symphony and the Chelsea Symphony Orchestra. I have worked with composers in events such as the Tribeca Film Festival and am a member of a new-music ensemble, Arturo en el Barco, which combines classical, ambient, and electronic genres. Aside from Western music, I also play the Arabic violin and am a member of the New York Arabic Orchestra, which seeks to foster knowledge of Arabic and Middle Eastern music by bringing works of those traditions to the stage. I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in music at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. I completed my Bachelor of Music degree in String Performance at New York University. *** Lesson Details *** I believe that to be a successful teacher, it is important to be able to keep a student both motivated and interested in the instrument they are learning to play. I emphasize both technique and musical expression in my teaching and guide a student in seeing how the two aspects complement each other. Depending on each student’s level, I encourage my students to bring exercises, short works, or formal pieces that have been assigned, and play them at the beginning of lessons as if they were performing for an audience. Afterwards, we dissect the piece together and see what the student can improve on. This method challenges the student and allows for creativity and individuality as budding musicians, but still lets them know I will be there to help whenever I’m needed. I also find that it is crucial to be able to adapt to and understand each student’s particular needs. For this reason, I make practical goals with the student at every lesson. These are goals that their weekly practice schedules can accommodate, and are manageable yet challenging. I work with absolute beginners up to advanced players. *** Studio Equipment *** -full size violin/bow -metronome -music stand -method books *** Travel Equipment *** Equipment provided: pencils, violin, method books, metronome. Equipment expected from student: music stand, music staff paper, pencils, method books/photocopies (as assigned), metronome/tuner, violin, notebook. *** Specialties *** Classical